


Everyone Who's Human

by Raberba girl (Raberba_girl)



Series: All my alternate universe Kingdom Hearts fanfiction [13]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alien Invasion, Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Cross-Generational Friendship, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-22
Updated: 2012-11-22
Packaged: 2017-12-25 08:56:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/951165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raberba_girl/pseuds/Raberba%20girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a one-shot for now; I haven't finished writing the main story yet. It's supposed to be an AU alien invasion story, with Saix and Xion as the main characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everyone Who's Human

Everyone Who's Human

(rough draft)

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic by Raberba girl

 

_For Thanksgiving Day 2012, November 22nd_

 

Summary:  Xion reminds Saïx that even in miserable circumstances, there's always something to be thankful for. AU

 

A/N:  Takes place in the same universe as my Saïx/Xion Day fic which I never finished/published. -.-  I hope this isn't too confusing....  **(Ftr, this takes place after an alien invasion apocalypse.)**

 

o.o.o

 

He was sweating and tired and hungry and very much not in the mood to handle her enthusiasm.

 

"Saïx, aren't you excited?!"

 

"No.  Move out of the way, I want to catch a shower before the rations run out."

 

"Saiiiix," Xion whined, trotting along after him, "we haven't had a holiday in _ages_.  This'll be good for us."

 

"What will be good for us is if I am allowed to bathe and then get some sleep so that I'm as well rested as possible tomorrow morning when it's time to get back to work and continue to ensure the survival of everyone inhabiting this outpost."

 

She blew out an exasperated breath.  "It's not good for people to work every single day without any breaks at all."

 

"Tell that to the creatures trying to kill us."

 

She was quiet for too long, and he finally stopped and turned to face her, repressing a sigh.  "Forgive me.  What I said was insensitive, I shouldn't have mentioned it just to win an argument."

 

She drew in a long, deliberate breath and released it slowly.  "It's Thanksgiving, Saïx."

 

He raised an eyebrow.  "So?"

 

"So we have things that we're thankful for.  We can't be rushing rushing rushing and fighting fighting fighting all the time.  Sometimes we have to stop and remember why life is still worth living."

 

"Xion."  He made a wide gesture with his arm.  "A full third of mankind has been wiped out, a quarter of those remaining are in enemy hands, and the rest of us are fighting a war we have no hope of winning.  _I_ don't see much to be thankful for in that, do you?"

 

"We're alive," she said quietly.  "We have each other.  We've had electricity for the last two weeks straight and enough weapons to arm everyone over age fourteen and enough food to get us through the winter if we're careful, and enough water for _you_ to take a shower once you brush me off yet again because you've decided I'm just an annoying brat who's not worth talking to."

 

He saw the tears standing in her eyes, and remembered that she was, after all, still just a child...at least by the standards of the world they had lost.  He remembered that horrible day, what she had suffered then, what she still must suffering now even after all this time.  Though his own child was gone, possibly forever, he remembered what it was like to have a young person look up to him and depend on him.

 

Saïx reached out and pulled Xion into his arms, letting her cry.  "You're right," he finally said softly, when she could hear him.  "There are many things to be thankful for.  This holiday is a good idea."  He frowned.  "As long as it's just the one day."

 

She raised her head to give him a watery grin.  "Of course.  Can't let you guys slack off, now, right?"

 

o.o.o.o.o

 

As celebratory feasts go, the trappings were pitiful...yet the meaning was felt heavily in every gesture, behind every word.  People's spirits were brighter than Saïx had ever seen them as they passed around precious scraps of meat and chunks of warm bread, some of it actually made fresh.  Someone had even produced a few cans of fruit, past its expiration date but still edible and quite delicious to their sweet-starved palates.

 

"I propose a toast," the Captain called out after he had gotten everyone to quiet down, "and a prayer."  He had their attention.  "First of all, to us, the people of Earth - may we live long and prosper!"

 

There was a ripple of laughter and a clinking of cups and glasses.

 

"Why is that funny?" Xion whispered to Saïx.

 

"I have no idea."

 

"And secondly--"

 

There was a commotion by the eighth tunnel entry.  Everyone seemed more curious and excited than alarmed, so Saïx paid it little attention and scooped some more food onto his plate as he waited for order to be restored.

 

"Folks," the Captain finally resumed in an eager tone, "looks like our visitors were able to make it in time after all!  Mr. Flynn Rider and his team from Outpost 92, let's give them all a welcoming--"

 

"Xion," Saïx said sharply, "where are you--?"

 

She had dashed off, was shoving her way through the crowd with uncharacteristic aggression, and now Saïx noticed that one of the newcomers was making his way toward her even more forcefully.  People were quickly starting to move out of their way, exclaiming in confusion or anticipation, and then the two of them met.

 

"Dad," Xion sobbed as they flung their arms around each other, "Dad, Daddy, you're okay, I'm so, I...."

 

He was murmuring back to her in a low voice, the two of them embracing so tightly that they nearly stumbled more than once, until Saïx was able to take hold of the man's arm and steer them both into a nearby chair.  He was not the only one assisting them.  He looked up and was startled to meet a pair of aquamarine eyes.

 

"Hi, Dad," Riku said, as casually as if he was strolling in from what had once been a normal day at school.

 

"Where have you _been_?" Saïx demanded.

 

His son laughed.  "We've been worried about you, too."

 

"Where's your mother?"

 

"On the ship parked over Japan."

 

"On a _ship_?"

 

"Undercover mission," Riku clarified quickly.  "She's fine, at least for now.  Look, she sent this for you."

 

Saïx ripped it out of his hand almost before he'd even finished pulling it out of his pocket and activated the holo right where he stood.

 

 _"Hello, love."_   Aqua.  As beautiful and self-confident as ever, despite the drone collar around her neck and the half-healed injury on one arm.  _"I'm hoping Riku gets this to you in time.  Everything's been going as planned, so you don't have to worry about me yet.  We heard reports of someone matching your description in one of the North American outposts, so I'm going to hope for the best and assume you're still alive.  I miss you, sweetheart, and I love you.  Riku's done fantastic work, you'll be proud of him.  I won't be able to record another message for at least another three months, so this is all my holiday love rolled into one.  I have a little gift for you, hopefully Riku still has it."_

 

"I do," Riku murmured with a grin.  "I'll hand it over in a minute."

 

_"If all continues to go well, we should be out of here by midsummer, though I won't record the details here in case this falls into the wrong hands.  Just know that there's no reason to give up yet, and that there's still a chance we'll be able to meet again."_

 

"More than a chance," Riku said softly.  "One day we're going to be a family again, Dad.  I promise."

 

"Sssh," said Saïx.

 

_"...so I have to go now.  I think about you all the time.  Don't forget me."_

 

"As if I could," Saïx murmured.  Then he just had to stand there for a while until he could speak without weeping.

 

He realized that Xion was holding his hand.  "Saïx?"

 

"...Xion."

 

"I wanted you...to meet my dad...."

 

He raised his head met the eyes of the newcomer who, along with Xion, had caused such a fuss earlier.

 

"So you're the one I have to thank for my princess making it through the invasion," said Xion's father.

 

"She happened to be at the right place at the right--"  Her friend had not been.  "I was mostly running on impulse."

 

Riku gave him a good-natured shove.  "Just to warn you, my dad's a grump.  I'm Riku."

 

"Axel.  This is Xion, who kinda replaced you for a while, from the sound of it."

 

Riku and Xion both laughed, and Saïx was a little surprised when she picked up his own arm and wrapped it around herself.  "Saïx was my dad when my real dad couldn't be here for me," she said affectionately.  "But I'm sure he'd way rather have you around than me, Riku."

 

"That's not--"  Well, it was true, but that didn't mean Saïx hated or resented her, either.

 

Riku shrugged.  "Hey, we can all share, right?  End of the world as we know it, can't have too much family."

 

"All of us are family now," Xion said thoughtfully.  "Everyone who's human.  We all have to take care of each other and help each other."

 

"Sounds good to me," said Axel.  He put an arm around Saïx's shoulders, enclosing Xion between them, and Riku reached out to join in the embrace.  Saïx would have shaken them off if there'd been a point to it, but there wasn't, because everyone else was joining hands, anyway.

 

"Like I was saying," the Captain continued at the head of the room with a raised voice, laughing as he turned away from his exchange with Rider.  "A prayer.  To give thanks for everything we still have despite everything we've lost, all the things we're grateful for on this day...."

 

o.o.o

 

Author's Notes:  Lol, you'd think it would be Roxas & Jasmine instead of Riku & Aqua, but story flow comes first. ^^;

 

Man, I'd wanted to do a _Stepsiblings_ fic, since I have a ton of Stepsibs Thanksgiving plunnies (and even more Christmas ones XD), but I was starting to stress out...I knew I wouldn't have enough time to write a proper Stepsibs Thanksgiving fic AND a Larxene Super-Day fic AND the rest of the giftfics/kiriban/etc. AND the truckload of Pairing Day fics coming up in December AND my huge Christmas project I've barely even started AND all the stories on my Massive Update list...yeah, not gonna happen. ^^;  I played around with various fail plunnies until one finally survived, which was this one, but - dang it, the universe it's set in hasn't even been published yet! DX


End file.
